Masquerade
by TheFifthCharmedOne
Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC
1. Prologue: A Brilliant Plan

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Prologue: A Brilliant Plan

"Come on Prongs, it's a bloody brilliant plan!" Sirius Black cajoled the stag Animagus, who seemed extremely skeptical.

"Lily and Sabrina would see right through it Padfoot." he said. "They're the two brightest witches in our year; no masked man kissing them would fool them."

"Actually, the plan is fairly sound, in my opinion." Remus interjected. Sirius grinned.

"Even Moony agrees! Come on James, what do you have to lose?"

"Whatever's left of my dignity?" James retorted. "I've finally become friends with Lily after five years of pointless attempts to win her over. I'm not going to ruin that just because you're too chicken to ask Sabrina out yourself."

"I'm not chicken; she'll kill me if I ask her out!" Sirius said indignantly.

"I thought you always liked a challenge." James deadpanned. Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Not when the challenge is Sabrina bloody Craven!"

"Now, now Padfoot, no reason for that sort of language." James mock-scolded.

"Cute, Prongs." Sirius rolled his eyes. James laid down on his bed, folding his hands behind his head. "Come on mate, a year ago you would have been ready to do anything to get Evans to even _look _at you without glaring."

"Things change Padfoot. Do you really expect me to follow through with this when it's only going to hurt me in the end? Evans hates me. End of story."

"It doesn't have to be!" Sirius sat down on his best mate's bed, running a hand through his mangy black locks. "You love her James. I can see it when you look at her." James raised his head to look at his friend, not confirming or denying the claim. "Why not just take one more chance? The outcome might surprise you."

James put his head back down, deep in thought. Being with Lily had been his dream for as long as he could remember. He did love her, that much was true, however he had tried so many times to get her to believe him, and every time he was tossed away like old garbage. Each one of those breaks had hurt, and there was only so much he could take. But on the other hand, if he took one more chance, maybe he could win her over this time. Maybe…maybe…she was worth it. No, no maybes about it. She was _definitely _worth it.

"Fine." James allowed after about ten minutes of silence. Sirius looked at him in surprise. "But if this plan fails, I'm going to kill you Padfoot." His voice was extremely serious, though there was an eager smile playing on his lips.

"Trust me Prongs, if this plan fails, which it _won't, _mind you, I'm sure Sabby will kill me first."

-X-X-X-

The Great Hall had been decorated accordingly for the evening. Lily Evans walked with her two best friends, Sabrina Craven and Alice Stevens. She wore a simple green summer dress that brought out her eyes, her auburn red hair down and straight, falling across the middle of her back. Her mask was a dark black with minty green sparkles, and she held it up to her face as soon as she entered the room.

Sabrina wore a midnight blue dress, her curly black hair pulled into a high bun with curls hanging around her heart shaped face. Her eyes were only visible through her dark blue mask that was decorated with sparkles that both matched her dress and brought out her eyes.

Alice's dark brown hair was straight for a change, her brown eyes lit up as she looked for Frank Longbottom, her boyfriend. Lily and Sabz knew that as soon as they found each other, they would be inseparable, so they left her to her search. Her maroon dress was simple with black flowers sown into the hem of the gown.

The Marauders were all dressed in costumes, their masks in place. James saw Lily immediately; he could find her with his eyes closed.

He didn't make the first move to dance with her, though jealously bloomed inside him when she dance with Amos Diggory, who made no move to hide his identity. When he leaned to lift up her mask, James had had enough.

"Can I have this dance?" he cut in. Amos scowled at him, though James knew he had no idea who he was. Lily looked at him, eyebrows furrowed, as though she was already trying to discover who he was beneath the mask.

"Who are you?" she asked, reaching to pull off his mask. He'd even put a top hat on to cover his telltale messy hair, so that was probably the main reason she didn't realize who he was right away. He caught her wrist and put her hand back at her side, holding her warm arm for a few extra seconds.

"Now, now, telling secrets would ruin the fun," he smiled his voice airy but layered with truth. She pouted, and James had a hard time not spilling everything.

They danced through the Great Hall, maneuvering through the crowd. Lily caught Sabz's eye a few times and found her dancing with her own masked stranger.

The ball ended quickly, too quickly for James's taste, and Lily continued to watch him, waiting for him to slip up and reveal something that would tell her who he was. James was sure to keep himself secret because if he didn't, the plan would fall apart and Lily would probably never speak to him again.

As the students wandered out of the hall, Lily made a point to not lost track of her masked marauder. He tried to lose her, sure, but she would not be denied. Eventually, he grabbed her arm and pressed her against a nearby wall. He still wore his mask and hat, so Lily had no idea who he was.

Though for some reason, Lily's heart was racing as she looked into his eyes. There was something…familiar about them. Something she couldn't place. Slowly, he pressed his lips to hers.

Lily's eyes drifted closed and just as she was going to lose herself in the kiss, he was gone.

-X-X-X-

A/N: Short little story that I came up with basically out of the blue. It's a little distraction, kind of like a lone chocolate chip that rolled out of the bag while you were making cookies. :3

Sorry for the food reference, I'm hungry. Baha. xD

So, yeah. Let me know what you think by reviewing! :33

~Charmy


	2. Mystery Man

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Chapter 1: Mystery Man

Hogwarts Castle was just as majestic as ever, the thing of dreams, wonder, and a young child's imagination. It stood as it had for centuries, overlooking the Black Lake with the moon shining over its bright windows. It was the home of many teenage witches and wizards. Lily Evans and her two best friends, Sabrina Craven and Alice Stevens, sat through what would be their last welcome feast as students.

"Oi, there are my three favorite girls in Hogwarts!" Sirius Black cajoled, approaching the girls. Sirius clapped both her and Sabz on the shoulders, grinning like a madman. "And how was your summer?" he took a seat between them, while the other three Marauders, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, sat down nearby.

"It was great because you weren't there to annoy me, Black." Sabz said with playful yet honest smirk.

"You wound me Sabby!" he said dramatically, clutching his heart for effect. Lily smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Haven't I told you not to call me that?" Sabz growled dangerously, narrowing her eyes at Sirius. He just grinned; making some nearby fourth year girls' swoon and Sabz continue to scowl. He winked at the girls, who looked like they were going to melt into metaphorical puddles of goop. "Oh leave them alone you pig." she said, disgusted. She turned back to her food.

"Jealous?" he teased, still pretending to give the girls attention, but maintaining his focus on Sabz.

"Of course not." she protested vehemently, glaring at him with new frustration.

"You know you love me." he said, still grinning. Though this grin was different, as though he knew something she didn't. Sabz didn't dignify that with a response.

Lily shook her head at their banter. It happened all the time, especially because Sirius was relentless in trying to make every single girl at Hogwarts fall in love with him. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face James, and her eyes met his.

A flashback of the boy from the dance entered her mind, and for a split second she dared to think it could have been James. She entertained it for a short time, but then threw it away. James couldn't be her masked man; he had never been secretive about his advances before, why would he do it now? More importantly, why would he do it at all if he was over her?

She then realized James was talking to her. Trying not to act like she had been thinking about him, she focused on what he was saying.

"…so how was your summer Lily?"

"Oh! My summer was…uneventful." she shrugged. "The only milestone was my sister's engagement to a whale." James nearly choked on some pumpkin juice, trying to hold back a laugh. "Not literally of course, but that could be argued."

"Big bloke is he?" James asked, wiping some of the pumpkin juice from his lips. _Very soft, nice lips…_Lily thought before forcing herself to focus on the conversation.

"Huge. I honestly have no idea what Tuney sees in him. What he has in body weight does not make up in personality. Dreadfully boring, he is." She took a bite of her dinner, savoring the wonderful Hogwarts food that she had grown so accustomed to over the years and knowing that her time was limited. Their conversations continued, and for once, Lily barely thought about the mystery man that had been occupying her thoughts so much as of late.

Once dinner was finished, students both young and old milled to their respective dormitories, ready to turn in for the night. Lily and James, seeing that they were Head Boy and Head Girl, got their own dormitory. Taking it in appreciatively, the two teenagers readied themselves for bed, wondering just what was in store for their last year at Hogwarts.

-X-X-X-

Classes went on as per usual, and in Potions, Lily found herself daydreaming. She had finished her potion earlier on, and Professor Slughorn had awarded her ten points to Gryffindor for her 'splendid mastery' of the potion making craft.

_"Can I have this dance?"_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Now, now, telling secrets would ruin the fun,"_

She touched her lips for the umpteenth time in the last few weeks, still partially hoping that the spark she had felt when that boy kissed her would give her even an inkling of who he was. The mystery not only confused her, but it intrigued her because as far as she knew, no boy at Hogwarts would be willing to be that mysterious. Most boys just wanted her for her looks, something that she didn't feel she had.

Lily's mind trailed back to the boy at the ball, and the way he had kissed her. It had been sweet, loving, but achingly quick. She wanted him to kiss her again, but not with his mask on. She wanted to know who he was. If not to put her mind at rest, but to calm her heart, which seemed to call for him, to feel his lips on hers again.

The bell rang, and Lily went off to find Sabz and Alice, who both had Muggle Studies while she was in her elective Potions course.

-X-X-X-

"D'you reckon they know it was us?" Sirius asked as he caught up to James, walking in the corridors. He nodded to Lily and Sabz, who were talking animatedly to Alice, something about going to Hogsmeade the first weekend they could, from what he gathered.

"I don't know. Lily never said anything about it. Maybe they forgot." James was only half hoping this was true. As thrilled as he had been to have finally kissed Lily, it wasn't nearly as satisfying because she had no idea it was him, and once she found out, it was likely she would never speak to him again. Lily hated secrets, and keeping one this big right under her nose would probably destroy any and all trust she had in him.

"A wench forgetting my kiss? Not possible." Sirius replied. Girls nearby giggled. James rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling up the back even more so than it usually was.

"I'm serious, Padfoot."

"No, I'm Sirius." James smacked him on the back of the head.

"That joke stopped being funny in third year." he said, narrowing his eyes. Sirius shrugged. "D'you think I should ask her about it? See if she remembers anything?"

"Did you lose brain cells over the holiday?" Sirius replied sarcastically. "The whole point was so that they _wouldn't_ know who we were!" The two boys climbed into the Gryffindor portrait hole, after telling the Fat Lady the password, and made their way up the stairs to the Gryffindor boy's dormitory. Though James didn't sleep here this year, the room always made him feel at home. After all, he had spent most of his adolescence in this room, pining for Lily's love.

"I know that Padfoot, but honestly, they're going to figure it out eventually. And then what? How do we explain?"

"We won't have too!" Sirius said, exasperated. "I explained this, Prongs. They'll be too enamored with us to even be mad about the secret!"

"Enamored? Hm, Padfoot's using big words, this must be a real conversation." Remus walked into the room, and Sirius looked betrayed while James tried not to laugh. "What's going on mates?" Remus sat on his bed and looked at his two friends expectantly.

"I'm trying to convince Prongs not to ruin the plan I spent days perfecting!" Sirius glared at his friend.

"Padfoot lives in a fantasy world if he thinks Lily and Sabrina won't be pissed when they find out about what happened at the dance." James replied.

"Oh, that's what this is about." Remus mused. He sat there for a few minutes; both James and Sirius continued to argue. "Mates," The two boys looked up from their argument and turned to their lycanthrope friend. "They are going to find out eventually, and I'm sorry Sirius, but I have to agree with James. Honesty is the best policy, as it seems."

James grinned victoriously, and Sirius grumbled under his breath.

-X-X-X-

"Miss Evans! Could you stay back a minute please?" Professor Slughorn asked of Lily at the end of her Potions class. It was a Friday, the beginning of the first weekend in which Hogsmeade was open to students. Lily was really excited to go shopping with Sabz and Alice. Maybe she could get an early start on her Christmas gifts.

"Yes Professor?" she asked politely.

"As you know, my Slug Club is always looking for members to come to our meetings." Lily groaned internally, she should have known Professor Slughorn would ask her something to this effect. "Are you busy next Saturday evening at, oh say, 7:00?"

Lily was tempted to say she was busy; that she had homework and Head duties, but one Slug Club meeting wouldn't hurt.

"I believe I'm free," she said. Slughorn's grin could have lit up all of Hogwarts for a month, it was so bright.

"Excellent! Because this is one of the last meetings that my seventh year students will be able to attend, I'm requiring a date. Not a friend; I want you to bring a legitimate date."

Lily's face drained of color. Why had she agreed to something before hearing all the conditions? _Stupid! _she admonished herself.

"Is there anything else, Professor?" she asked, kicking herself for agreeing to this. Now she had to find a boy willing to go to a boring Slug Club meeting.

"I don't think so Miss Evans. Have a nice day."

"You too," she said absently, though she was cursing mentally.

_Damn it…_

-X-X-X-

On her way back to Gryffindor Tower, Lily stopped by the library. She needed to pick up a book for her Transfiguration homework.

She found the book she had been looking for with ease, and she was on her way out when a familiar voice caught her ear. She turned to see James sitting at a table with a young girl, maybe a first year. The girl looked puzzled as she uncertainly waved her wand, trying to make the book in front of her levitate. When nothing happened, she looked close to tears. James smiled and said something that made her nod and smile herself.

Lily's heart skipped a beat when he looked her way. He gave her a little wave, and she managed to smile back in recognition before scurrying out of the room.

-X-X-X-

"Sabz, stop it! It's not funny!" Lily groaned into her pillow, trying to block out her friend's obnoxious laughter at her predicament. They were sitting in the Gryffindor Girls' dormitory later that evening.

"Of course it's not," she gasped, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's hilarious!"

"What's so funny?" Alice walked into the dormitory, a curious look on her face. Lily told her, and Alice just smiled and shook her head. "You do have a habit of getting yourself into peculiar situations, don't you Lils?"

"Like it's really my fault," Lily grumbled sarcastically. Alice's laugh tinkled as she sat down beside her red-haired friend. "I don't have any idea who to ask; let alone who'd be willing to go with me!"

"Uhm, any guy with a brain?" Sabz recovered from laughing and joined her two friends on the single bed. Lily leaned against the headboard, hugging a pillow. Alice glared a little at Sabz, signaling that her sarcasm was not helping the situation.

"Why not ask James?" Alice said, in all seriousness. Lily's head snapped up, and her previously pale face flushed with color. Why, she had no idea; but she shoved her face into her pillow to hide it.

"No way," she mumbled into the pillow. "I can't ask Potter! I'd never live it down!"

"Oh come on now Lils; you said yourself that you are friends now! Just go as friends! What's the harm?"

"Oh, I don't know Allie, six years of playing hard to get going down the toilet?" Lily snapped. _Not only that, but Slughorn said it had to be a real date. Oh well, they don't need to know that. _

"Going as friends doesn't mean you're in love with the bloke," Sabz said gently. "We know you two have a messy past, but leaving it at that is the coward's way out. Try to connect with him; maybe get to know him."

"All he wants to get to know is what's under my knickers." Lily grumbled, her face still flaming hot.

"No, that's the rest of the male student body." Sabz corrected. She hesitated slightly, but then, summing up her Gryffindor courage, she said, "James loves you Lily."

"What?" If Lily's face hadn't been red before, it was surely red now. She didn't even know why she was blushing, but she knew she could blame it on James. Not to his face, but the fact that she could blame him made her feel slightly better. "How-why-what-who-" she stopped, staring at the wall for a second to collect herself, and then turned back to Sabz. "..What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Lily. Those feelings that he's had for you since first year that you've completely ignored? Remember those?"

"He's only trying to win me because I'm the only one that ever said no!" Lily fumed. She refused to believe Sabz's insane theory. James Potter could not love her. He just couldn't.

"That excuse is as old as Sirius's name joke." Sabz said with a roll of her eyes. "You have to admit, he has matured a lot since you knew him in fifth year."

Lily thought back to when she had seen him in the library earlier, helping that first year. He had been unendingly patient, helping the young girl even when she felt like giving up. He always encouraged her and helped her to do her best. And that was just one example of how James had grown. He no longer played pranks, he actually took notes and studied in his classes, and he was a responsible Head Boy.

As much as she hated to admit it, Sabz was right. He had changed.

"Okay, fine. Maybe he has changed. But that doesn't mean I'm going to ask him to the Slug Club party! It's as good as a date!"

"Oh please, those parties are anything but a date. The only thing you need to worry about is being alone with him the walk to and from Slughorn's classroom. And not only that, but if you're going as _friends,_ then you have nothing to worry about."

Sabz's logic was impeccable, and try as she might, Lily couldn't poke any holes in it. After a few minutes, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Fine." she agreed. "I'll ask him."

-X-X-X-

A/N: Sorry for the lack of update. :'D Hope you liked it!

~Charmy


	3. Smiles, Parties, and Fanciable People

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Chapter 2: Smiles, Parties, and Fanciable People

Three days had passed since Lily had promised to ask James to the Slug Club party. Alice and Sabz were beginning to get impatient with the redhead, and whenever they tried to ask her about it, she would quickly change the subject or walk away.

The truth was, Lily was being a coward. She knew it, and she hated it, but the idea of dropping her pride to ask out the previous bane of her existence was absolutely mortifying. Not to mention the awkwardness it would create if he said no, or even if he said yes. It would change their status for the worst, and Lily wasn't sure she wanted anything to change.

On the fourth day, Lily and James had rounds together. It was nearing the middle of October at this point, and the Slug Club party was incoming faster than Lily was ready for it.

They were talking about Quidditch when an idea suddenly occurred to Lily.

James had a very nice smile.

Now, it wasn't exactly an epiphany, she was still stuck about asking him out, but noticing the small things was a step in the right direction.

The way his mouth just curved up in that happy grin of his made her heart stutter a little bit each time she saw it. His dimples were always there, and it almost seemed like he never stopped smiling.

"..Tryouts are starting in a week. I can't wait to see how the team has improved since last year." Here a very large grin lit up his face as he was undoubtedly imagining flying around on the pitch and having a blast with his friends.

They climbed the Grand Staircase towards the fourth floor and heard a noise in the crevice of one of the corridors.

They went toward it, their hands on their wands just to be safe, and rounded the corner to look into the crevice.

Sirius and an unknown girl from Ravenclaw were snogging passionately. James would have laughed if he wasn't so annoyed.

"Padfoot." Sirius stopped sucking the girl's face and looked at James. A guilty grin spread across his face. "Go back to the dormitory. It's past curfew." Lily turned to the girl.

"That goes for you too, and if we catch you again, we'll remove points." Lily said. The girl nodded obediently and left toward her dormitory.

"Sirius never changes, does he?" Lily asked, looking at James.

"Nope. I swear, he's going to get himself in serious trouble one of these days."

"I'm kind of surprised he's lasted this long, what with Sabz around." Lily laughed.

They went on their way and were on the fifth floor by the time someone spoke again. Actually, they both tried to speak at once.

"Lily-"

"James-"

They both stopped and laughed.

"You go first." James told her, wiping a tear from his eye. What exactly was so funny about talking at the same time escaped him, but Lily just had that effect on him. He was always smiling when she was near him.

A horrible feeling clenched in his gut when he remembered the secret he'd been keeping from her.

"No, you." she insisted, her face flushed from laughing. She looked beautiful like that. She noticed he was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing." he said hastily. Lily's heart skipped a beat. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Funny. I've been meaning to ask you something too." The words came out of Lily's mouth before she could stop them. She cursed herself mentally.

"Yeah? What's that?" he asked, and they started to walk slowly again. Lily swallowed hard, gathering the courage that Gryffindors were supposed to be known for. _Why is it so hard to just to say those bloody words? _She wondered.

"Slughorn asked me to come to one of his stupid Slug Club meetings, and I was wondering if you want go with me." Her eyes widened slightly as she realized that intended she wanted a date. "A-As friends." she added quickly, averting her eyes from his. "It's not a date, so don't go getting your hopes up." To her surprise, James laughed. She glanced up at him and felt her heart stutter again when she saw his smile.

"No other bloke wanted to come?" he asked. She shook her head mutely, not bothering to say that she hadn't even _asked _anyone else. "Sure, I'll go with you." he said easily. Lily smiled in relief.

_Mission accomplished. _She thought proudly.

The rest of their rounds went on without a problem, in fact, they began to get to know each other a little better.

"Favorite candy?" Lily asked as they neared the Fat Lady's portrait. Talking to James was just so easy, and a part of her was sad that it was going to end soon.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. It's a surprise with every bite." he grinned. Lily laughed. "How about yours?"

"Chocolate frogs. But I also like licorice wands. And chocolate is my weakness…" she looked at him and blushed slightly, realizing that she was starting to ramble. "I have a bit of a sweet tooth." she admitted shyly. James smiled, wondering if he would ever find something not to love about Lily.

-X-X-X-

Friday came; and the two Heads were on their way to the dungeons. Lily wore a purple sweater and her nicest black jeans, and black flats. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. James wore a black button down shirt that revealed a black t-shirt underneath, as well as jeans. His trusty trainers were on his feet, and though no one noticed, there was a little mud on them from his most recent full moon with Remus.

When they came to Professor Slughorn's office, the older teacher greeted them with his usual jolliness. He complimented Lily and James, and then the meeting proceeded as usual.

Appetizers were served around a large table, and Lily realized she was very hungry. She piled foods on her plate, and then heard James chuckling.

"What're you laughing at?" she wanted to know.

"You." he replied, his hazel eyes sparkling with humor. "You never cease to amaze me Lily."

Trying to fight the blush on her face, she turned away from him, determined not to let him get to her. Despite the fact that he had a nice smile, body, and everything else, she just couldn't drop her pride.

James smiled to himself and made small talk with other people that had attended the meeting.

"Ah, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter! I had a feeling you two would show up together!" Professor Slughorn said, waddling up to the two seventh years.

"We're just friends, Professor." Lily muttered, hating the mischievous glint in the Potions' Master's eye.

"Not for long Miss Evans, not for long…" Slughorn grinned, and then went over to talk to another pair of students.

_What did that mean? _Lily wondered. She chanced a look at James, who looked at her at the exact same time. Averting her eyes, she hurried over to get something to drink.

Later, after mostly everyone had left, Lily and James decided it was time to leave. Thanking Professor Slughorn for the snacks and a good time, they left the dungeons.

"That wasn't as bad as I expected it to be." James said suddenly, and Lily looked up at him. "Ol' Sluggy never invited me to any of his Slug Club parties, but I heard rumors about how dreadfully boring they are."

"This time was actually pretty laid back." Lily said thoughtfully. "Normally he makes us sit around a big table and discuss things like a group of teachers."

James shivered.

"I would _never _be a teacher." he said honestly. "I'd rather be out there on the field, as an Auror, than stuck behind a desk all day."

Now that, Lily understood. While she had never been a fan of violence or gore, she did understand his desire to avoid being stuck somewhere when there was something he could do to help someone else. It was so close to her own personal take on things that it surprised her.

_Maybe there _is _more to James Potter than what meets the eye…_

-X-X-X-

"Soooo how did it go?" Alice asked nosily as Lily met her outside Charms the next morning.

"Fine." Lily replied, walking into the classroom to her seat. Alice sat beside her.

"Details, Lily! I want details! Did he kiss you goodnight?" Lily nearly fell out of her chair and she blamed her suddenly red face on the heat of the room, even though it wasn't hot in there at all.

"Of course not! We're _friends_, Alice!" Lily cried.

"Fine then, what do _friends _do at Slug Club parties?" Alice continued, seemingly intent on finding out all she could about this stupid party.

"Nothing! We just talked and ate snacks. It was a really simple thing, nothing happened, I swear!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you sound flustered." Alice said knowingly. Lily glared at her friend, and then when she was about to retort, James Potter himself walked into Charms. He was closely followed by Sirius and Remus, and while the latter continued to their desks, James stopped for a moment to speak with Lily.

"I had a nice time last night Lily. Thanks for inviting me." he cast a charming smile at her and continued to his desk, and Lily stubbornly ignored both Alice, who was nearly fainting from happiness, and her speeding heart.

-X-X-X-

Meanwhile, in Potions, Sabz was trying very hard not to laugh at Sirius, who was attempting an antidote to common poisons.

'Attempting' was the key word in that sentence.

When his third attempt blew up in his face, Sabz couldn't stop herself from coming to his aide.

"You're hopeless." Sabz said with a smile, and Sirius looked up at her.

"Sabby love," he grinned. "Come to help me in my time of need?"

"I've come to save you from making even more of a fool of yourself." Sabz's smile turned into a smirk. "But only if you ask for it."

Sirius's eyes widened. "What? Your ego can't handle asking for help?"

"No, by all means, take the lead." he smiled, and something inside Sabz skipped a beat. She was so used to him being a complete prat that this sudden change was…difficult for her to grasp.

"Fine, I will." Sabz declared. Sirius even stood up and made a grand show of gesturing to the cauldron. The black haired girl rolled her eyes and took the seat where Sirius had just been.

She studied the recipe for a few minutes before looking inside the cauldron, only to find that the only way to make this potion semi-functional was to scrap it and start from the beginning.

"_Scourgify,_" she said, and with a quick wave of her wand, the old potion had disappeared.

She felt Sirius's gaze upon her the whole time, and while she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but picture the stormy color of his eyes.

"Sabby," a rough voice said into her ear, and it took her a few seconds to realize it was Sirius. "You might want to watch the amount of antidote you put in there, too much and you'll kill someone."

Realization dawned on Sabz like a moth to a flame.

"You right prick!" she said, whirling to face him. "You knew what you were doing all along!"

"Shh, shh. Ol' Sluggy is watching." Sirius warned with a smirk. Sabz narrowed her eyes.

"Come on now Sabby; let's have a little fun with the old bloke." Sirius cajoled. Sabz glanced at him and back at the teacher, who was still clueless to this whole exchange. A small, mischievous smile came to Sabz's face.

"Fine." She said.

Sirius grinned.

"Excellent."

-X-X-X-

When class was over, Gryffindor House had managed to amass twenty points thanks to the efforts of Sirius and Sabz. While Sabz disliked taking advantage of one of her favorite professors, it was still pretty funny to see the reactions that Sirius was able to pull out of him.

Sirius and Sabz were walking from the dungeons when they noticed Lily and James approaching from the second floor.

"Oi, Prongs!" Sirius said loudly, and James looked up. The Quidditch Chaser smiled and waved. Lily looked over and smiled at the other two Gryffindors.

Once they had met up, the joined the crowd that was headed for the Great Hall.

"Just pulled off a massive prank on Slughorn," Sirius said proudly. Lily scowled, not liking how proud Sirius was of taking advantage of her favorite professor. "Oh don't get your knickers in a twist Evans," Sirius joked. "I just managed to play stupid long enough to get Gryffindor twenty house points."

James laughed and high fived his friend. "And Sabby here helped." Sabz smiled victoriously.

"Sabz!" Lily complained. "Don't encourage them!"

"Oh come on Lily, admit it. Pulling one over on Ol' Sluggy is pretty funny." James said, and Lily, against her better judgment, could not argue with him.

-X-X-X-

"Have you told them yet?" Remus asked as James and Sirius entered the dormitory a few hours later.

James and Sirius looked at each other and then each took expressions of sheepishness. James loosened his tie and removed his glasses so that he could rub his eyes.

"Not for anything Moony, but it's not exactly the thing you can bring up in conversation." Sirius grumbled, flopping down onto his bed.

"I understand that Sirius, but the longer you let the secret sit, the worse off you'll both be." Remus said patiently.

"I still don't think they need to know at all." Sirius said, unendingly stubborn.

"Padfoot, be reasonable." Peter squeaked from the corner.

"I _am _reasonable Wormtail," Sirius's lip curled. "I just can't tell Sabz that it was me that kissed her at the masquerade ball! She'll never forgive me!"

"Wasn't the whole thing your idea, Padfoot?" James asked with a sideways look.

"That's not the point." Sirius said dismissively. James arched an eyebrow and shook his head. "We need a plan."

"Not another plan." James said, sitting on his old bed. "What we need is to find the balls to tell them what happened that night."

"Any suggestions?" Sirius looked pointedly at Remus.

"This is something that you blokes need to figure out on your own." Remus said after a few minutes.

"Fine." Sirius said. "We can tell them after the first Quidditch game. When Gryffindor wins, like we always do, we'll pull them aside and tell them."

"That's just under a month away. That works." James agreed. "For once I agree completely with one of your hairbrained schemes."

"That's because Evans is involved." Sirius muttered.

"Shut up." James grunted, coloring slightly. "If we're done here, I'm going back to my dorm."

"Night James," Peter and Remus said.

"Night Prongs," Sirius called. James waved, and then crawled from the portrait hole.

-X-X-X-

A/N: About bloody time I updated, eh? Sorry for the four month hiatus. I am working on updating more frequently, I swear it. This story should be done before the summer…or before the fall…yeah I don't know. Just keep an eye out for updates! xD

'Till next time!

~Charmy


	4. Feelings Come Out

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Chapter 3: Feelings Come Out

Hazel eyes opened with a shock of excitement. Fumbling for a moment with his glasses, James Potter roused himself from sleep and glanced at his clock. A few minutes before six o'clock AM. He would have plenty of time to get up, showered, and dressed well before he had to report to the pitch.

Today was the first day of Quidditch tryouts. And James could not have been more excited for it.

He was careful to be as quiet as he could so not to wake Lily, as they shared the Head dormitory together. As he brushed his teeth, washed his face, showered, and attempted to pull a brush through his mangy locks, he thought about the redhead, as he usually did.

Moreover, he thought about the secret he was keeping from her. The first Quidditch game of the year would be in three weeks time; and it would be Gryffindor versus Slytherin, the age old rivals going head to head.

That was also the day he could lose Lily forever.

He sighed heavily and felt a new kind of exhaustion begin to weigh him down. He dreaded revealing the secret not only because it would reveal his deception but also because he feared her reaction. He saw the subtle changes in her demeanor towards him; he wasn't blind. However the line they walked was a fragile one, and it was one he was not willing to easily break after spending most of his teenage life just trying to maintain it.

Sliding into his Captain's cape, he held his head as high as he could manage and left the Head dormitory.

-X-X-X-

Completely unbeknownst to James, Lily had been awake the entire time that he had, perhaps longer. She had lost track of the times she had tossed and turned, and the fact that the cause of her frustration was in the next room was completely unfair. She had no idea why he affected her so, except for the thought she had banished from her mind: that she, Lily Evans, fancied James Potter.

_I _**_can't _**_fancy him. I just can't. There's too much history between us, and honestly, he's over me. There's no point in lamenting on something that never had a chance from the start. _

Then she remembered what Sabz had told her.

_"James loves you Lily." _

As if on cue, Lily's face turned red. Sure, boys had fancied her in the past, but she had a hard time believing that any of them had honestly been _in love _with her. She groaned and buried her head under the covers miserably.

_And then there's the boy from the dance…I wonder if James…no, it couldn't possibly…could it? _She shot straight up in bed, now fully awake. _Could he?_

She vaguely remembered thinking about this at some other time, but couldn't remember why she had shot it down. It would be just like James or Sirius to come up with some kind of scheme and keep it a secret.

_But that's what the old James would have done. _She swung her legs over to the side of the bed and stared at the paneled floor.

_I need a second opinion. I need to talk to Sabz. Everyone knows that Sirius has fancied her for ages. He would be the one to come up with some kind of prank to kiss her and not get slapped. And it's possible that he dragged James into it…_she blushed again as she remembered that kiss. She also vividly remembered admiring James's mouth when they came back in the beginning of the year…

She touched her own lips and could have sworn she felt them tingle.

_Is James my masked marauder? _

-X-X-X-

"It's possible." Alice concluded once Lily had presented the brunette with her thoughts. "We all know he still fancies you, no matter how much he tries to hide it…"

"Shhh!" Lily hushed quickly, leaning over the table at the Great Hall to silence her friend. The reason that Lily was talking to Alice instead of Sabz was because the black haired girl was at the Quidditch tryouts, and Lily had no desire to see James when her thoughts were so muddled.

"What's the big secret?" Frank Longbottom walked up to the two girls, seating himself next to Alice. "Hello, love." he pecked her cheek and she smiled at him, momentarily distracted.

"Morning Frank," Lily said. Frank, who had stuffed a biscuit into his mouth, managed a wave. "Alice." Lily brought the lovesick girl down to earth. "Could you be a little bit quieter?"

Instead of answering her question, Alice posed a new one to Frank.

"Darling, does James love Lily?" With no hesitation, Frank nodded. He swallowed his biscuit.

"He always has." Frank said, drinking some pumpkin juice. "It was never a secret, but Lily just never wanted to see it."

Lily sank down in her seat, pouting. How had everyone seen this but her? 

-X-X-X-

"Bloody hell, Smith! You're a Beater; it's your job to _block _the bloody Quaffle!" James bellowed commands around the pitch, knowing that he was probably intimidating the people that were trying out. That was good; he wanted them to know that he was a slave driver. He wasn't afraid to admit it, and considering that the Gryffindor team had won more games than it had lost, he didn't see it as something to complain about.

After it was all over, he had to admit that he saw a lot of potential in the recruits. Some of his best players had graduated the year before, and he hadn't even been Captain then.

As he walked back toward the castle with his broom clutched in his fist, he thought about his usual recurring topic: Lily.

He still couldn't figure out a way to tell her about the masquerade ball without making himself look like a complete prat. In her eyes, he knew, she would see him as a slimy jerk that didn't have the guts to kiss her without hiding it, disregarding the fact that she would never _let _him if it weren't for the mask.

He sighed irritably and climbed the stairs toward the Head dormitory.

-X-X-X-

After he had gotten changed and put his broom away, James decided that he would do a little homework before he had his appointment later. He had two essays; one on Animagi for Transfiguration and the other on Unforgivable Curses for Defense. Both would be relatively easy.

He was halfway through his Transfiguration essay when Lily came into the dormitory. She looked worried and confused, her eyebrows drawn together in a way that told him she was deep in thought.

"Hey Lily," he greeted, putting his quill down. Lily jumped in surprise and then looked to see James. He was watching her quizzically, and Lily suddenly decided that the floor was very interesting. For some reason, she felt shy and awkward, like a girl that was faced with a boy she fancied.

She swallowed hard, thinking back to her musings from the early morning.

_It's not as much as a horrifying thought as it used to be. _She thought.

"Hi, James." She said, finally speaking instead of standing there like a foolish eleven year old. She was almost eighteen, and dammit she was going to act like it. Even if she was nervous and confused around James, that didn't mean their friendship had to suffer. "What homework are you working on?" she gestured to his half-completed essay.

"Transfiguration and Defense." he replied. A sudden idea came to him; he wanted to test something. "Actually, I'm having a bit of trouble writing it, so it's good you came back."

"But Transfiguration and Defense are your best subjects," Lily said in confusion.

"True, but I'm rubbish at essay writing. I can know everything about the topic, but when I have to write an essay…well let's just say I don't know how McGonagall can read it."

Lily smiled and shook her head.

"Is this your indirect way of asking for help?" James shrugged.

"More or less."

"Fine, but only the essay writing. If you ask me for any answers, I will get up and leave you to your misery."

James grinned, and Lily wondered if he knew how much that affected her. _His smile again…_

-X-X-X-

"So, that's basically it." Lily shuffled the papers into a neat pile, proud of the fact that she had been able to help James with something, even if it had been schoolwork.

"Thanks a lot Lily." he said gratefully, and Lily smiled, shaking her head.

"Not at all. It was actually fun working with you, except for when you got distracted."

James grinned again.

"Homework is so dreadfully boring, I have to lighten things up every once in a while!" he said, and Lily rolled her eyes, giggling. Laughing, James looked at the clock, and then his grin disappeared. He cursed. "Bloody hell, I'm late!" he gathered his things together quickly and shoved them into his bag. "Thanks for your help Lily, but I really have to go!"

_Well, the test succeeded. She does care for me, at least a little bit, because before she would have told me to shove off if I'd asked for help._

As he ran down the stairs to his appointment, he smiled slightly in triumph.

_It's a start. _

-X-X-X-

James's sudden exit had confused Lily even more than she already was. What did he have to do that had him running out like that?

She had to know; otherwise the curiosity would eventually kill her. She started toward the portrait hole, intent on going…somewhere.

_Damn it. _She cursed, realizing she had no idea where he went. Now annoyed, she crossed her arms over her chest in thought. She tried to remember a point in their studying where he had mentioned going somewhere at a specific time. Nothing came to mind, furthering her frustration.

She looked around the common room, as though that would give her some sort of clue, when she saw a book lying on the floor. It was a library book about Unforgivable Curses, and the last person to sign it out had been James Potter.

_He must have forgotten it while he was rushing out of here. _She thought. They had used it for a reference in his Defense essay, but she figured he no longer had a need for it. _I should take it and my own books back to the library. The last thing I need is Madam Pince bothering me about overdue books. _

That thought in mind, she grabbed her own books, her wand, and set off down the Grand Staircase.

Once in the library, she put the books on the return shelf and decided to look around a little bit. She had nothing else pressing to do, and the library was a solace of sorts for her. As long as Peeves didn't pull any pranks, it was usually pretty quiet.

She liked quiet, it gave her time to sort through all the colorful noise in her head.

_I think I can safely say that I fancy James. _she thought, but only to herself. _But it's not without reason, I mean he has changed so much and he's a lot of fun to be around…and if he _**_was _**_the boy that kissed me at the dance…oh, he's a wonderful kisser too…_

She pondered on that thought, her fingers brushing the spines of the aged volumes. Hogwarts Library was a renowned hall full of books that had information pertaining to everything that had to do with magic. It made her feel whole and complete to come there, because of the soothing energy that books seemed to exude.

She rounded the corner of a shelf, only to find James sitting at a table right in front of her.

With a girl.

Allow her to clarify.

With a girl that _wasn't _Lily, or any of his friends that were girls.

This girl had curly brown hair and freckles, and wore the uniform of a Hufflepuff. She looked no older than fifteen, and that was a bit of a stretch.

"No, Chelsea. You have to wave your wand in a swish and flick form, so that the magic moves from inside your body, through the wand, and outward at the target." James instructed, his voice patient and measured.

Lily hid behind the shelf quickly as she saw James's head tilt upward. She didn't want to seem like she was spying, even though that was exactly what she was doing.

"I _know _that James!" the girl said in clear annoyance. _So she calls him by his name, does she? _Jealousy wormed its way up Lily's spine, curling like a serpent in the pit of her stomach. _I don't have any right to be jealous. _She reminded herself. _Just because I fancy him, I have absolutely no claim over him, _**_especially _**_now that he's over me. _

That last thought made her chest hurt in the most unexpected way.

Was that…_heartbreak_ she was feeling?

_No. _she thought. _It can't be. It's what you've always wanted!_

"Look, Chels, you're in your fifth year here, Charms should be nothing for you!" James encouraged. Lily's eye twitched.

_…Right?_

"I _know_!" The girl said, sounding close to tears. "I'm such a screwup!" She started to cry then, and Lily peeked around the corner of the shelf.

What she saw made her gasp.

James collected the girl into his arms, consoling her quietly. Lily clenched her teeth, repressing the urge to scream at both of them. She wanted so badly to tell Chelsea to get the _fuck _away from James, and then she wanted to curse James until kingdom come for making her feel this way.

She wanted to run away, but she just kept her eyes glued to the scene, praying that this was all friendly.

_Yeah, and Dumbledore will shave his beard. _Lily belittled herself. _I should just leave him be. He can seduce fifth years all he wants, I don't care._

With her head held high, she walked out of the library, refusing to recognize the horrible pain in her heart.

-X-X-X-

James looked up and caught a brief glimpse of red hair as its owner swept out of the library. His eyes widened.

Lily had followed him here?

Had she seen Chelsea and misunderstood what was going on?

He had to talk to her.

"Chelsea, d'you mind if I cut this short? I just remembered that I have to go talk to the Head Girl about something."

"Yeah, sure." Chelsea laughed, embarassed. "Sorry about..." James didn't hear the rest of her apology, he was already halfway out the door.

-X-X-X-

"Lily! Lily, wait a minute." The redhead heard him, she just did her best to block out his voice. It was after dinner, and most students had turned in for the night. She took hold of the banister at the Grand Staircase and right as she was going to climb the first step, James was in front of her. _How does he do that?_ She wondered in annoyance. She was also annoyed at the fact that his hand was on top of hers, and was sending the most bothersome sparks down her arm. _Bugger. _

"What?" she asked, trying to keep the anger from her voice.

"It meant nothing." He got straight to the point. "I just tutor her from time to time because she's having trouble adjusting to being a witch."

"You don't have to justify anything to me." Lily mumbled. James cocked an eyebrow. He thought back to his earlier dilemma, and then got an idea. He spoke again.

"It would seem that I do, considering the fact that you bolted out of the library like a bat out of hell."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She managed to get her hand back and started walking up the stairs. James followed.

"I think you do."

"I think you're mistaken."

"I think you fancy me."

**_What?_**

Lily stopped dead in her tracks.

"You have absolutely no brains in your head if you think that _I _fancy _you_!" she said with the unmistakable Evans growl.

James smirked.

"Maybe I am a bit brainless." he said noncommitally. Lily watched him out of the corner of her eye. What was he up to? "Because I'm going to ask you out again, and again."

Lily almost laughed in relief. Finally, something she could deny without feeling any regret! "But," he stepped in front of her on the fifth floor landing, making her stop so she didn't walk into him. "You can't say no."

"What?" she demanded, flabbergasted. "Why not?" James continued to smirk. This was all part of his plan. (The plan itself was still forming, but he had a basic idea of what he needed to do)

"Because that would mean that you don't like me. I know you do." A grin came to his face, and Lily fought back a smile. He saw that too, and stored it in the back of his mind.

"Shut up, I do not, cocky prat!" For some reason, she felt a laugh bubbling in her throat. Just what was it about this boy that made her so giddy all the time? _He's going to drive me bonkers. _Lily thought.

"Liar." he said with a big smile, the kind that made Lily's knees weak.

"Am not." she argued. They reached the seventh floor and were on their way to the Head dorm when a sixth year Gryffindor Prefect ran up to them in a panic.

"Lily, James! Come quickly, the Prefect office was flooded!"

-X-X-X-

A/N: I am not even going to say it. Saying sorry at this point wouldn't even help my case, would it? This is ridiculous, soon it's going to be a year since I posted this and at this rate it won't even be done by then. -.-

Anyway, please review! ^^

-Charmy


	5. Dare You To Move

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Chapter 4: Dare You to Move

It turned out that the culprit behind the flood had been Peeves the poltergeist, the notorious prankster. Most of the prefects had though it was hilarious, though James and Lily were not amused. Even James, who had been a prankster himself, was spitting curses at Peeves because almost all the round schedules and the other required paperwork had been washed away in the flood. This put them very far behind. Lily did not like being behind. She was a procrastinator, yes. Despite that, she always got her work done on time. She _hated_ not being up to snuff on something.

"I swear I'd kill Peeves if he wasn't already dead!" Lily fumed.

"I'd help." James grunted. Rewriting the rounds schedules wasn't particularly challenging, it was just very boring and time consuming.

While writing out the schedules, Lily thought of the masquerade ball for the first time in days. She still had no evidence that James was her masked man, but all her thoughts and, yes she would admit it, hopes, were telling her that he was. The curious, logical part of her wanted to ask him, but the shy, girly side was afraid of rejection.

So she kept her suspicions to herself. Little did she know that James had plans of his own.

-X-X-X-

"So, Sabby," Sirius walked up and leapt onto the table that Sabz had been using for her studying. "I had a thought."

"Should I prepare the bomb shelter?" She asked. "Too much thinking may cause an explosion."

Sirius scowled, and Sabz smiled sweetly. "Fine, if you're going to be that way, I won't tell you." He turned around and looked like he was going to leave. Sabz paused. Normally, she would have ignored him and gone back to her studying. She should have, he was only baiting her anyway. Though...the way he said it sparked Sabz's curiosity. Even though Sirius Black and curiosity should _never_ be in the same sentence, she proceeded to respond.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's going on in that head of yours, Black?" He turned back around with a knowing grin.

"Before I tell you, I have a question. You'll be attending the upcoming Quidditch match, right?"

"Of course. Liss is on the team, I have to support her." Sabz said immediately. The grin widened, so much so that it was unnerving.

"Then I have a..." he paused, considering his word choice. "...proposition for you."

"A proposition?" Sabz asked skeptically. She sat back in her chair, putting her quill down on the parchment. She was being serious now - no pun intended.

"A bet if you will." he paused again, this time for dramatic effect. "If we win, you have to kiss me. You know, a victory kiss. If you like it, I'll tell you a secret. If you don't, you'll never know."

"There is no way I'm agreeing to that!" Sabz protested. Sirius, expecting this, rocked back on his heels and spoke nonchalantly.

"Fine. Guess you'll never know the secret. And while James snogs Lily, you'll be left out, since we all know that Remus is just waiting for a chance to get with Foster."

"James is going to snog Lily?" Sabz asked, not surprised, but more perplexed. The Marauders never revealed their plans - why was Sirius being so open?

"Well, he's supposed too. Don't know if he's going to do it though." Sirius turned thoughtful, though he still looked mischievous. Sabz decided it was a good look for him. Not that she was watching him or anything - nothing like that at all.

"And Remus fancies Liss?"

"A blind man could see that one."

"True." Sabz agreed.

"Come on Sabby, agree to the dare. I'll make it worth your while." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Please. Just because you think my two best friends are going to be kissing your two best friends doesn't mean we have to make it three for three. And who says I even want to kiss you?"

"Oh, you do." he leaned closer, his eyes darkening in an undeniably attractive way. "Because..." he drawled, curling her hair behind her ear. A loose strand had fallen from her ponytail and had been blocking her face. "I'm irresistible."

"Arrogant prat!" Sabz shoved him away, hastily gathering her things. Sirius noticed her face was very red. She attempted to sweep out of the library, but Sirius's voice stopped her.

"Sabby, the proposition?"

She paused, looked back, and smirked.

"Fine. I'll take your stupid dare," Sirius grinned victoriously. "...But only if James kisses Lily the same way."

The color drained from Sirius's face. Sabz walked away, a smile of her own settling on her lips.

-X-X-X-

A few hours later, Sirius was following James around his dormitory, attempting to get him to follow along with the plan.

"No, Sirius. I'm going to woo her in my own way."

"But Prongs, if you don't snog Evans, Sabby won't snog me!"

"It's not my fault you didn't see this coming. Sabrina's always been clever, she would find a way around anything you came up with."

"Come on Prongs!" Sirius complained, falling onto James's bed. "For me?" He stuck out his lower lip and made his eyes look bigger, begging like a puppy. James

"No, Sirius. Not even the puppy dog face will work." James remained stubborn. "I have a plan of my own."

"Really?" Sirius asked, surprised. Until now, James had been extremely skittish about the whole thing, and now that he had a plan, the dog Animagus was very curious.

"I know she fancies me." James said, picking up a dirty sock and throwing it to another random place in his room. "I just have to get her to admit it, and then telling her will be no problem."

"Telling me what?" Both boys whirled their heads to see Lily standing in the doorway of James's room. "At least, I'm assuming it's about me."

"It's not nice to assume things, Evans." Sirius said quickly.

"Sod off, Black." Lily told him. She looked at James. "James?" she questioned him because he hadn't confirmed or denied that they were talking about her.

James didn't say anything, he kept 'cleaning'. Or whatever he had been doing before Lily came in.

They were silent until Sirius spoke.

"I'm just going to leave you two lovebirds alone." Sirius left the room and winked at James, who glared.

More silence ensued as they watched each other, neither courageous enough to speak.

"What was that all about, James?" Lily said softly, something new beginning to permeate the air.

"If I told you, then I'd have to kill you." He said, a small smirk quirking at his mouth, and Lily's eyebrow arched, her stance turning defiant.

"James."

"What?"

"Tell me what you want to tell me."

"There's nothing I want to tell you."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"Then why can't you look me in the eye?"

James stopped, his gaze snapping to hers. She stepped back slightly, surprised by the sudden change. He stepped forward, unsure of exactly what he planned to do, he was just letting instinct take over. "...James?" Something had changed in his eyes, as though he had remembered something important.

"Actually, there is something." he said. Lily felt a bit unnerved by the way he was looking at her - but she also felt her heart beginning to beat faster. She was beginning to regret her forwardness - if James hadn't wanted to tell her, she shouldn't have pushed him.

"You don't have to tell me." she said hastily, her face suddenly feeling very hot. There was just something in James's eyes. A warmth that had her paralyzed - because despite her inner panic, she couldn't walk away.

"Going back on your word?" he asked, teasingly. He stepped closer. They were still a ways from each other, but Lily was stuck in her spot, so it felt as though he was right in front of her.

_Articulate, Lily. No reason to stammer. It's not like he's kissing you or anything -_ _wait, stop right there! I did not just think that! I did not just wish for James Potter to kiss me!_

"You look a little frantic, Lils. Anything wrong?" he sounded genuinely curious - except for the mischievous twinkle in his eye. A twinkle that Lily had grown to fear. She just wished she feared it now.

He took another step forward. Lily's heart tripled in speed. She bit her lip, still unable to move. "I know you fancy me Lily." he said softly, though she heard him loud and clear.

"How could you possibly know that?" she said, trying to sound authoritative, but it came out weaker than she wanted.

He shrugged, which frustrated the redhead. She had kept her thoughts to herself, so how did he know?

Her mind was racing, and her heart was going along at an unhealthy pace. James was so close. Close enough that she could see the barest hints of stubble on his face. A slight crook in his nose reminded her of that time in second year when he had been hit with a Bludger. She had always thought that Madam Pomfrey had completely healed him, but obviously not.

"I know things. Especially when a girl fancies me." His voice was deep, and it took her a moment to realize that he was answering her earlier question.

"If you know when a girl fancies you, then why didn't you realize I hated you?" This would have been a good time to use her wand, but her hands were stuck at her side. James leaned forward and took those same hands, sending sparks up both her arms that bloomed like a flame inside her stomach. She tried to tell herself that she was hungry - but she wasn't hungry for food. She wanted James - something she refused to admit aloud.

"Mm." he breathed slowly, as if taking in her scent. "Because I knew you'd come around." He smiled, and Lily's heart stopped beating. _Damn him and his smile! Damn you James Potter!_ She cursed. As he watched her, his lips mere inches from hers, Lily's eyes grew wide.

The eyes.

_His_ eyes.

Her masked man - from the dance! He and James had identical eyes!

James, oblivious to her realization, seemed to be readying to kiss her.

Lily would never allow that. She couldn't. She _refused_!

"Dare you to move." His whisper ghosted across her chin before his lips touched hers.

Too late.

-X-X-X-

A/N:

Me: Waiting for a hurricane to hit - should be fun! I get to write!

Rest of the World: WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!  
>University officials: All students are to evacuate the campus tonight.<p>

Me: -.-'

So that was my day today. I'm home for two days - I'm hoping I'll get some writing done, because it never seems like I do at school. Sadface.

I'm going to apologize again for the lack of update - it really is quite terrible. Though every time I say I'm working on it, the inspiration dies and it goes for months without update. So I'm not gonna say that.

Anyway, hope you guys liked the chapter! Please review! :3

-Charmy


	6. Can You Keep A Secret?

Masquerade

By: TheFifthCharmedOne

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.

Summary: At the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, Lily Evans was kissed by a mysterious boy at Hogwarts' Masquerade party. A whole summer has passed, and she still has no idea who he was. She wants to know, and she'll do anything to find out. L/J, Sirius/OC

Chapter 5: Can You Keep a Secret?

"It was you."

When their lips came apart, this was the first thing from Lily's breathless mouth. "You were the masked boy at the dance." James was silent because he wanted her to finish. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd hate me. We had just become friends, and I was terrified of losing that." James looked and sounded equally breathless. Lily chuckled in relief. This was something she could respond too, easily and truthfully.

"I never would have hated you. Strongly disliked you, yes. Wanted you to pay for what you'd done and how you embarrassed me, of course. But I...I never could have hated you." Lily smiled briefly, before frowning. "You should have told me. Better yet, you never should have done it at all. You should have just waited for me to come around. I would have, eventually, especially because you changed. I know you did it to impress me, and while that's very flattering, I never actually hated **_you_**." James opened his mouth, but Lily continued to speak. "I hated the**_ idea_** of you. The idea of a cocky, arrogant teenager who felt he could do whatever he wanted just because he was a wizard." She sighed helplessly. "Do you have any idea how much sleep I've lost over you?"

James's lips ticked up in a slight grin, before that smile that Lily loved so much disappeared. James raised his hand and brushed his knuckles across her cheek. She took hold of his hand and gripped it. He held hers as well, his eyes searching for any falseness in her glance. There was none.

"Do you love me, Lily?" he asked hoarsely. His grip on her hand tightened for a moment before letting go, and Lily's arm dropped to her side. "Because I love you."

"How could you possibly love a barking mad redhead with an anger management problem?" she asked, chuckling bitterly. She paused. "Every instinct is telling me to run from you right now - to run and never look back..." she bit her lip, looking away.

"So why don't you?" he asked the million Galleon question.

"I _am _a Gryffindor." She said with a smirk. James grinned. Lily couldn't help herself - she smiled too, giggling slightly. He leaned in and their foreheads bumped together, the sunset creating a silhouette in the small space between their faces.

"You love me." He said, sounding very sure of it. Too sure. Lily couldn't let him know the truth, not yet.

"I don't recall saying that."

"You implied it."

"How so?"

"You wanted to run. You didn't."

"So what? That doesn't mean I love you. I could just fancy you." Lily argued, breaking away from his embrace and going to sit on his bed. "Don't sit next to me. My brain isn't rational when you're so close."

Ignoring her, James sat down next to her, their thighs touching. Lily's cheeks were on fire and she was saying things she never would have said if she were thinking rationally. Or thinking at all, really. Her words seemed to just be spilling out, without direction from her brain.

"So what do we do now?" James asked a few moments later. Lily sighed, blowing her hair from her face.

"I don't know. I barely know how to process the last ten minutes." She admitted.

"Yeah," James chuckled. "That was crazy, wasn't it?" He looked at her and smiled. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to look back at him. "Can we do it again?"

Blushing, Lily laughed and nodded, leaning in and accepting the kiss.

After a few more moments of snogging, James pulled away, a smile on his face that could light all of Hogwarts. "Lily, would you do me the honor of going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

Still red in the face, the Muggle-born witch nodded. Lily momentarily feared that James's wide grin would split his face in two, but those fears and other thoughts disappeared when his lips met hers again.

* * *

><p>A while later, the new couple was sitting together in James's dormitory, Lily's head lazily on his chest and his arms stretched behind his head, thoroughly relaxed.<p>

"We have to get up and do work soon," James commented, running his hand lazily through the redhead's wavy locks. Lily moaned in annoyance.

"Do we have too?" she questioned petulantly. James chuckled.

"Well, unless you want to stay like this a bit longer...?" He looked at her hopefully. He still couldn't believe that the she was his. Although they hadn't made it official, he knew Lily wouldn't be so cruel as to lead him on like this.

Right?

"Can we stay like this a little bit longer?" she asked, sounding like a child. James smiled.

Right.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, they were still in their same position, both knowing they had work to do, but also reluctant to leave their cozy cocoon.<p>

"You know something?" James asked, still combing his hands through Lily's hair. He still felt like this was a dream he was going to wake up from. He had finally won Lily Evans's heart. Only it wasn't a game, it never had been, not really. Not after the first time she rejected him, after that it had become something far more significant and life-changing. And James wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hm?" Lily asked, sounding extremely content.

"We should get Sabrina and Padfoot together. Alyssa and Moony too."

"Where did that come from?" Lily questioned. James shrugged, and he sat up. Because of their position, Lily was forced to sit up as well. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, but before she could stand up, James had his hand over hers.

"We know they fancy each other. They're just too stubborn to admit it." He smiled knowingly, and she glared at him playfully.

"While that's true, I still don't understand what brought this on. Normally you're...well not very smart when it comes to love."

"I beg to differ." James grinned, giving her a coy smile. Lily flushed. "And I'm in a romantic mood, sue me." He squeezed her hand and took extreme delight when she squeezed back.

"So what do you suggest?" Lily asked.

James's eyes lit mischievously. "James?" the redhead questioned warily, knowing that look far too well.

"I think it's time to party."

* * *

><p>"Professor, please. It's a great idea!" James beseeched his Head of House.<p>

"I agree, Professor." Lily said. "The seventh year students need a way to end their year, and what better than a graduation ball?"

"It simply can't happen, Mr. Potter! Miss Evans, you of all people should understand how these things work. Need I remind you that graduation is less than a month away?" Professor McGonagall said sternly, her lips pressed thinly. "There just isn't enough time!"

"I beg to differ, Minerva." Professor Dumbledore intervened. "I have come to realize that anything's possible with enough nerve." He paused. "...and of course, a bit of magic."

Lily and James looked at each other and grinned.

* * *

><p>"I heard that they're dating..."<p>

"No! Really? She finally agreed?"

"That's what Marlene McKinnon told me, and apparently she got it right from Sabrina Craven!"

Lily walked through the halls of Hogwarts that following week, speculations and gossip following her everywhere she went. Whether she was in Charms, or Potions, or even the library, the whispers and not-so secret glances were constant.

Originally it annoyed her, but now she didn't care very much. Did she enjoy having her relationship status as the 'hot topic'? No, absolutely not. Lily had always hated being the spotlight, one of the differences between her and James. However, she knew that as soon as something else just as juicy came around, her newfound relationship with James Potter would be nothing more than a passing craze.

_Newfound relationship. _The idea made her giddy. James and Lily were two halves of the same whole - one couldn't exist without the other - not really. Ever since they met in first year, they had been circling each other in a seemingly never ending circle of dramatic arguments and denied chances at love.

* * *

><p>Days passed, and the preparations for the dance were all Lily and James seemed to be thinking about. They barely had time for each other in that period, and that upset them both, Lily in particular. Her doubts began to rear their annoying selves, and Lily found herself avoiding her boyfriend, much to Sabz's chagrin.<p>

"Lily Rose Evans," Sabz said sternly almost a week after Lily and James had become boyfriend and girlfriend. Lily stopped what she was doing - Sabz only called her by her whole name when she was being serious.

"Sabrina Alexandra Craven," she said, offering a watery smile, knowing that she was caught.

"Go talk to him. That," she gestured loosely to the party preparation that Lily was working on. "Can wait."

"I don't need to talk to him. Everything's fine." Somehow, Lily knew exactly what, or rather who, Sabz was referring.

"Everything is _not _fine. When's the last time you two kissed?" Sabz demanded. Lily's face flushed.

"Over a week," she admitted. "But we've both been busy with preparation! It's not a big deal, really." she turned her head away, her curtain of hair hiding just how much of a big deal it was.

"Are you telling me my best friend's happiness isn't a big deal?" Sabz asked, crossing her arms at the very idea. Lily suddenly sat down on the floor, as though her legs could no longer hold her, and looked up at the black haired beauty, fresh tears glistening in her emerald eyes.

"I feel so vulnerable, Sabz." Lily whispered. "How can I miss him so much when I used to hate him? How can not seeing him, not touching, kissing, _being with him_ hurt so badly?" Sabz knelt down by Lily and rubbed her back, and Lily struggled not to cry.

"Sabrina, can you...Lily?" A shadow fell over them, and Lily didn't have to look to know that it was James. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat nearly choking her, and felt a tear slip down her face. "Lily, what's the matter?"

Lily stood, her face shadowed, and took off running. She had no destination in mind, she just needed to get away, to think.

"Lily!" Both James and Sabz cried in alarm. James took off after her.

* * *

><p>James's long legs quickly caught up to Lily and he grabbed her wrist to stop her.<p>

"Lily, love, what's wrong?" He pulled her into a strong embrace, and his cologne and earthy scent immediately overwhelmed her. She felt more tears fall, but she couldn't stop them. "Lily," he said softly, feeling her tears seep through his shirt.

"I miss you." she said quietly, almost inaudibly. Another tear escaped her eye. "I feel so stupid, getting this upset because I've barely seen you for a week, but I can't stop myself. You...you bloody prat. Why do you do this to me?"

"Now you know how I've felt for the last three years," he whispered, but not bitterly, as one would expect. His voice had a different tone, a different affect.

Fondness. Affection. Whatever you called it, there was a definite lack of negativity and a profound abundance of love.

* * *

><p>The dance was a huge success. All of the hard work and dedication that the Heads and their friends had put into it had paid off immensely.<p>

Lily and James had gone together, as expected, although what was unexpected was that Sabz and Sirius had as well. After tweaking their agreement, Sirius had convinced Sabz that one date wouldn't kill her.

Late into the night, Sirius had finally persuaded Sabz to dance with him, and to a slow, romantic song no less. The evening was full of surprises, in Lily's opinion.

"Seems like everything worked out." Liss sidled up next to Lily, gesturing to Sabz and Sirius. The pair were swaying slowly, Sabz's head on his chest and his hands securely on her back.

* * *

><p>"I won't be convinced until he kisses her." Lily replied.<p>

"Or she kisses him." Liss agreed, and the two friends continued their observation.

* * *

><p>"We're being watched." Sirius noted with a chuckle, and Sabz smiled slightly.<p>

"I know. It's just Lily and Liss."

"Prongs and Moony are watching too." Sirius told her, and instead of being mortified, Sabz looked up at him with a mischevious smile.

"We should give them something to see." She flirted, and Sirius's eyes darkened daringly. He leaned down at the same time she leaned up, and their lips met in a long awaited kiss.

Moments later, Sabz spoke first.

"Guess I just can't fight this feeling anymore." She conceded, leaning her head on his chest again. The song was coming to an end, but in that moment, they were in their own world.

"Sabby, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sirius asked, tightening his grip on her.

"Depends on what you think." Sabz answered, with her never-ceasing wit.

"I think that you fancy me." Sirius smiled.

"I think you might be right." Sabz smiled as well, though Sirius couldn't exactly tell.

Satisfied, Lily and Liss migrated around the room, and Lily decided she was thirsty. She was scooping herself some punch when a hand reached around her waist, pulling her close to a firm body.

"Dance with me?" James's lips brushed against her ear and she giggled, unable to hold it in.

"If you're lucky." Lily replied with a smirk, drinking some of her punch. James smirked back.

"Would you dance if I told you that the punch was spiked?" Lily spat it out in a rather comical spit take. James couldn't help it; he laughed. He knew Lily hated any form of alcohol, which was what made her reaction even more priceless.

"James Michael Potter!" Lily admonished, slapping his shoulder. "That was not funny! I'm definitely not dancing with you now!" she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Aw Flower, you know I was only teasing." Lily continued to be annoyed, and James snaked his arms around her. "One dance? Please?" he pressed his mouth against her cheek, his voice a mere whisper. "For old time's sake?"

"Oh fine, you incorrigible prat." Lily refused to admit her face was flushed. James chuckled.

"Must I remind you that I am _your _incorrigible prat?"

"Shut up and let's dance." Lily was still pretending to be angry, but they both knew that she was never really angry at all.

* * *

><p>"Looks like everything worked out the way it was meant too." Professor McGonagall said with a fond smile, watching the new couples dance.<p>

"Yes," Professor Trelawney agreed. "I foresee a difficult future for these children though." Despite a peaked curiosity, Minerva kept her mouth closed, just watching and hoping that Sybill was wrong.

Meanwhile, Sirius and Sabz were walking around hand in hand. Lily and James were doing the same, and Sabz grinned and Lily, who smirked back. She nodded toward their clasped hands, and Sabz flushed almost in a guilty way. She made a move to pull away, but Sirius held tight.

"You're not getting away that easily." he said, amused. He chuckled at her awkwardness, he found it adorable because it completely contrasted her usual bravado. Since she had initiated their kiss, he knew that she felt the same way he did, despite her embarrassment.

"So who's idea was the whole 'masked man' thing, anyway?" Lily questioned as they watched the rest of the seventh years dance the night away.

Sirius and James exchanged glances.

"I think it was a mutual idea. Wasn't it, Pads?" James asked, and Sirius caught on right away.

"Yep. Sure was - I think Remus had a hand in it too..."

"What did I do now?" Remus asked, walking up with Liss by his side. Lily and Sabz grinned at her, and she shyly smiled back, pulling their arms forward to reveal clasped hands.

"Nothing, Moony, Absolutely nothing." Sirius said, not wanting Remus to reveal the entire thing.

After all, some secrets were meant to be kept as that. Secrets.

* * *

><p>AN: It's finally done! The story's been up for over a year and I FINALLY finished it! I was going to go into detail about how Remus and Liss got together, but I thought that would be a bit of overkill. If you guys want, I'll post a oneshot about them. :)

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and thanks for sticking with me for this long! :D

-Charmy


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